Chinotimba implicated in MDC activist’s murder in Buhera

By Tichaona Sibanda
20 May 2008

Joseph Chinotimba, the notorious opportunist infamous for leading the brutal farm invasions, is back in the news again - this time for overseeing the murder of an MDC activist. He has been implicated in the murder of a leading MDC official who was the victim of a frenzied attack in Mutiusinazita, Manicaland province on Saturday.

Known as Robert Mugabe’s hatchet man, the Zanu-PF’s losing parliamentary candidate for Buhera South led a militia group that attacked and killed the MDC ward chairman in the area. Chinotimba drove the militia to Mutiusinazita, his home area, and parked his vehicle at Mutero clinic. The group then started hunting down Chokuse Mupango, the MDC chairman for ward 26. He was the election strategist for Naison Nemadziva the MDC MP elect who defeated Chinotimba. Popularly known in the area as ‘nyoka,’ Mupango was warned of the impending danger and hid in his neighbour’s house.

Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC MP elect for Makoni South and party spokesman in Manicaland said the militia searched both Mupango’s house and his neighbour’s but failed to locate him.
‘As the group was about to retreat from the area, someone suggested they search the toilets. And after a while they found him hiding in his neighbour’s toilet. He was dragged out and they started attacking him using knives as well as sticks and knobkerries,’ Muchauraya said.

‘After they beat him so bad, the group decided to take him to Chinotimba for further interrogation. But because of the nature of his injuries Mupango collapsed and was by now gasping for air. Instead of seeking help, the group fetched a wheelbarrow and took him to Chinotimba who was in the company of five policemen at Mutero clinic,’ Muchauraya added.

When the militia got to Chinotimba, Mupango couldn’t respond to his questions, and after a short time he died. ‘The sad thing is what was said after they realized he had died. Chinotimba started calling him a pig, raving to the crowd why the pig had died before he had even started with him. His body was loaded into Chinotimba’s vehicle and was dropped at the Birchenough Bridge hospital mortuary,’ Muchauraya said.

The MDC has since filed a report with the police. Muchauraya said there are so many witnesses to this murder that ‘one day it would certainly come back to haunt’ the self-anointed leader of the war veterans.
Meanwhile, two MDC activists who were abducted together with Beta Chokururama in Murehwa two weekends ago, have been found dead in Goromonzi. Chokururama’s body was the first to be discovered not too far away from where they were abducted. He had a gunshot and four deep stab wounds to his back.

The decomposed bodies of Godfrey Kauzani and Cain Nyeve’s bodies were found on Sunday, a week after they were abducted in broad daylight near Murehwa. Another activist Tedius Chimedza was able to escape and is now in hiding.

There is concern that Nyeve was severely tortured before he died as his eyes had been gouged out.

Tragically the wives of Kauzani and Nyeve were also abducted Monday night from their homes in Domboshawa by suspected state security agencies. They have not been seen since and there are serious concerns about their safety.

In Harare musician Happyson Mabika, popularly known as ‘Reckless’ who composed the top charting hit ‘tiriparwendo na Morgan’ was seriously assaulted over the weekend.

The assault has been described as politically motivated as Mabika’s songs are pro-Tsvangirai and hard-hitting against the ageing Mugabe.